Albany or Drexel?

Hey everyone, I'm going to have to choose between these two schools by the end of the week. I didn't really get a chance to check out either of the cities too much when I interviewed because I had to get back to school...so I can't really say I got a good feel for the environments. Same with the schools--I missed the Drexel tour because I had to go to an off campus interview. The Albany campus seemed okay though, nothing outstanding in any way. Anyone care to point out some benefits/drawbacks of each of the schools? Thanks a lot!

HCA1500A said:

Hey everyone, I'm going to have to choose between these two schools by the end of the week. I didn't really get a chance to check out either of the cities too much when I interviewed because I had to get back to school...so I can't really say I got a good feel for the environments. Same with the schools--I missed the Drexel tour because I had to go to an off campus interview. The Albany campus seemed okay though, nothing outstanding in any way. Anyone care to point out some benefits/drawbacks of each of the schools? Thanks a lot!

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I also had this choice, and although I had to think about it a bit, I was pretty sure from the beginning that I wanted Albany. I'm from NY, and I really want to practice in NY, and I know that Albany has a good regional reputation throughout NY. A lot of people who I spoke to at work (I work in a hospital in NYC) knew a lot of Albany grads that had been through their residency program, and didn't really know much about Drexel or its predecessor (MCP). Since location is so important to me, I felt like Albany would open more doors. I also definitely liked Albany more when I visited--I got a better feel for it, and I didn't like Drexel's big class in particular. That being said, I was really impressed with Drexel's technology and simulated patient labs, and I think it's obviously a good example of an "up and coming" school, whereas Albany is pretty stagnant (I don't think it's getting worse or better). Anyway, the schools are really quite different, so I'd encourage you to look at their curriculum, think about location, and try to remember as much as you can about your impressions during the interview and the people you met there. Best of luck in your decision 👍

Thanks for your input and to everyone who has voted so far. One thing that I did like about albany was that the medical center was connected to the school, although that's not a very compelling reason to choose one school over the other 🙂

I voted for Albany. but I'll break it down for what I thought of each.

Albany- Class size is like 1/2 of what Drexel is.. at about 130. About 20-30 or so are highschool Union College/Albany 8 year program. I've heard this group is sorta cliquish because they have known each other for four years, coming into Albany. The facilities at both Drexel and Albany seemed to be alright but not excellent. Albany has no wireless except in the library. The lecture rooms, to be put bluntly, were run-down. The hospital was a good size though. It has a level 1 trauma center and helicopter response team. I was really impressed with the size of the hospital. It's right next to a VA hospital and sees a diverse group of patients. Does a lot of medicaid work. Albany as a city, as a capital, for me was sorta inadequate. It had its collegey feel with SUNY there and a couple other colleges. But I just didn't get a good vibe. It seemed a little trashy around Albany's medical college. The cost of living seems more expensive than Drexel too. Tuition is a more expensive by a couple thousands.

Curriculum seems traditional. Grading is on 5 levels (A,B, C, D, F equivalent) Drexel is 4 levels.

I liked the opp to get a distinction in ethics but I don't know how important it is to you. Overall, teaching seems excellent. The school is older than Drexel (founded in 1839 vs. 1848). Their match list is good. For a small class size, they seem to place well in the NY area.

Drexel- Large class size, 250. I thought the facilities were way way too small for the size of student body. The library was pitifully small. The gymn was a closet. The anatomy lab seemed cramped. But lecture rooms were nice and there was wireless throughout the building and on campus. The location is actually really close to Temple, they're like 10 minutes apart, which means the area Drexel is in is alright but not the good part of Philly. But overall, the campus is like one building so safety seemed good.

I didn't get to see the hospital but it's in downtown philly, which is about thirty minutes away with philly traffic, driving. The school offers a shuttle every half hour? I was kinda put off by this because Albany has a teaching hospital attached to the med school. Philly as it is, is cramped with med schools (temple, penn, jefferson). The fact that Drexel needs more affliated hospitals for their students to do their rotations at, in Philly, is sorta scary. you could possibly do a rotation in pittsburgh.

The name changing was sorta a downer. I mean, I sorta lost interest. It was sorta unnecessary for them to go thru that in the power point presentation. If you're worried about name recognition, I think Albany has more an established name because Drexel is so new with its name change. Drexel does have an undergrad campus near UPENN. If the facilities are inadequate at the med school, you can study at the undergrad library and use their gymn across town. Drexel's admin seems receptive and friendly to student input. Curriculum is progressive, both IFM and PIL integrate curriculum pretty well it seems.


Comments- The big take in this. The fact that Albany has a solid teaching hospital and well established reputation in an area that I'm interested in possible doing residencies (NY area) was why I would choose Albany. This choice really depends on what area you'll be looking to go back to for residency and what area you feel most comfortable. I'm actually not going to Albany or Drexel but this is my take. PM if you need more details. This May 15th deadline is killing me.

Freakingzooming said:

The location is actually really close to Temple, they're like 10 minutapart, which means the area Drexel is in is alright but not the good part of Philly.

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FYI: East Falls is no where near Temple. Temple is in NE philly, East Falls is west of the art museum. East falls is definatly one of the better areas of philly.

with that being said,

go to albany!

buffalomoose said:

FYI: East Falls is no where near Temple. Temple is in NE philly, East Falls is west of the art museum. East falls is definatly one of the better areas of philly.

with that being said,

go to albany!

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Wrong. The medical campuses are right next to each other, 8 minutes driving distance apart. Temple is on Broad. From drexel, you just cross the 1 and then you go east.

here is a map. Map of Philly

Freakingzooming said:

Wrong. The medical campuses are right next to each other, 8 minutes driving distance apart. Temple is on Broad. From drexel, you just cross the 1 and then you go east.

here is a map. Map of Philly

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Philly is pretty small so driving distance will be pretty good anywhere (I did hear that taking the train into downtown only takes 10 min from Drexel), but my impression of east falls is that it is has a very nice and very safe suburb feel, manayunk where the stores/restaurants are (about a 5-10 min drive), used to be (like 35 years ago when my mom grew up around there) kinda slummy, but has really cleaned itself up, it may not be the safest neighborhood in philly but you can walk around at night and be very safe and you can drive/bike/walk/whatever in several directions from Drexel and find many nice parks where you can hike, bike, swim etc. Temple is totally different. Temple's hospital is less than a mile from where I witnessed a shooting, was accosted by prostitutes, and found a murder weapon in a tree all in the same afternoon. I was doing community service with a peacekeeping retreat group, where we were picking up 40-70 used syringes per one side of a city block. This was a few years ago and maybe it has cleaned itself up also, but from what I have heard from friends this is still the case. The campus itself is pretty nice and safe feeling but the surrounding area is not quite so safe. The surrounding area for Drexel The medical campus at least) is much safer, and REALLY cheap! I found luxury 1 bedroom with a gym in the building and parking for $600/month.

Hope this helps!

Freakingzooming said:

Drexel- Large class size, 250. I thought the facilities were way way too small for the size of student body. The library was pitifully small. The gymn was a closet. The anatomy lab seemed cramped. But lecture rooms were nice and there was wireless throughout the building and on campus. The location is actually really close to Temple, they're like 10 minutes apart, which means the area Drexel is in is alright but not the good part of Philly. But overall, the campus is like one building so safety seemed good.

I didn't get to see the hospital but it's in downtown philly, which is about thirty minutes away with philly traffic, driving. The school offers a shuttle every half hour? I was kinda put off by this because Albany has a teaching hospital attached to the med school. Philly as it is, is cramped with med schools (temple, penn, jefferson). The fact that Drexel needs more affliated hospitals for their students to do their rotations at, in Philly, is sorta scary. you could possibly do a rotation in pittsburgh.

The name changing was sorta a downer. I mean, I sorta lost interest. It was sorta unnecessary for them to go thru that in the power point presentation. If you're worried about name recognition, I think Albany has more an established name because Drexel is so new with its name change. Drexel does have an undergrad campus near UPENN. If the facilities are inadequate at the med school, you can study at the undergrad library and use their gymn across town. Drexel's admin seems receptive and friendly to student input. Curriculum is progressive, both IFM and PIL integrate curriculum pretty well it seems.


Comments- The big take in this. The fact that Albany has a solid teaching hospital and well established reputation in an area that I'm interested in possible doing residencies (NY area) was why I would choose Albany. This choice really depends on what area you'll be looking to go back to for residency and what area you feel most comfortable. I'm actually not going to Albany or Drexel but this is my take. PM if you need more details. This May 15th deadline is killing me.

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Just an update on the above. I dont' know much about Albany, so I wont' comment.

About the class size of 250 at Drexel - It is split into PIL and IFM. Pil has a capacity of 60 or so students and the rest of the student body goes into IFM. I think both curriculae are really cool, especially the PIL. The facilities are plenty big for the size of the student body. Only the first 2 years are there (450-500 students). The library is small, but when I asked a bunch of students there what they thought about it, none of them seemed to have any problems finding any of the research things they needed from the library. The gym as also small, but they are currently building a much large one! And I really love the wirelessnes and technology of the school. That being said, I might be going to Drexel myself. My other choice is a state school with 3.5 times cheaper tuition, but if it weren't for the cost, I'd be at Drexel in a second.

Good luck!

HCA1500A said:

Hey everyone, I'm going to have to choose between these two schools by the end of the week. I didn't really get a chance to check out either of the cities too much when I interviewed because I had to get back to school...so I can't really say I got a good feel for the environments. Same with the schools--I missed the Drexel tour because I had to go to an off campus interview. The Albany campus seemed okay though, nothing outstanding in any way. Anyone care to point out some benefits/drawbacks of each of the schools? Thanks a lot!

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Your going. You chose. Are you

i vote drexel....so it opens up a spot at albany 😉

I actually have been pondering this decision myself. I was recently accepted to Albany and am waitlisted at Drexel. However, I have heard the drexel has pretty good waitlist movement so I am being on the optimistic side that I will get in. If I had to choose between both these schools I would choose Albany. Albany is near the Catskill mountains which provide many opportunities to go hiking, and snowboarding. The hospital is connected to the school (a huge plus in my book). Plus Drexel pumps out so many physicians each year I just wouldn't feel fully connected with the faculty with that many people in my class. I also like that there are other schools like SUNY Albany and a law school in Albany which provides for a larger pool of students meet to at various functions. Lastly, I know 2 students who go to Albany and they really have made me feel welcome there. Philly has been recently noted to be a pretty depressing city. While I think that those graduating from Drexel are very good physicians and will match in great residencies I just found that the school was less of a match for me than Albany. So, I would choose Albany. Make sure to let us know what you decide and why. Good luck with your decision.

Don't go to Drexel. They rejected me post-interview! 😡 Don't they know who I am? 🙄

I chose to go to Drexel last year for a number of reasons. Philly is an AMAZING city in regards to the field of medicine, with so many medical schools, hospital centers, resources etc. You really can't beat it and it WILL help you out as a student here. Furthermore, the school is incredible! I am still impressed by how helpful, available and caring the faculty is here. They go out of their way to help the students. They come in on weekends to help students review for exams, they tutor students individually, they have been willing to change around exam schedules to accomodate students' requests. They really want you to succeed and will do any thing to encourage you. The student body is also amazing! Very diverse, noncompetitive, friendly, and supportive. I have met so many amazing people here. Our clinical sites for 3rd and 4th years are extensive and varied. For example, you can go to a rural part of PA to do a clerkship, or stay in urban Philly, or go out to Pittsburgh. You really get exposed to many different patient populations which will only benefit you as a physician. The Curriculum is wonderful too in the sense that it really allows for individual learning styles. You can attend lecture all the time, or stay home and watch lectures online at your own pace. You can also even choose between two different curriculums according to your learning style. As for the school itself, since becoming part of Drexel University a few years ago, things are only improving and progressing. We just had our LCME site visit (for reaccreditation) and the feedback was extremely positive. Drexel is making new clinical affiliations each year and becoming a very well-respected and well-known medical center in Philly. I think the future of Drexel is extemely good.

A few more comments- Philly is a great central location being that you are 2 hours to NYC, and 2 hours to DC. Therefore fun weekend getaways! As for the class size, it is really not a problem. If you are in the IFM curriculum, a lot of students choose to watch the lectures at home and so the auditorium is never full during lecture. Many students do not study in the library and choose to study elsewhere so the library is not packed often. There are many places to study throughout the school and offcampus. The campus is expanding and the class size is decreasing. So this is really not an issue. Besides, I am happy that my class is "large" because it means that there are lots of people to meet and you avoid a lot of the petty high school drama that seems to occur in schools with smaller class sizes. Initially, I was concerned about the school not being attached to its teaching hospitals. But as you will soon learn, this really does not matter during your 1st and 2nd years. You will still have PLENTY of clinical exposure. Having a hospital adjacent to the school does not necessarily benefit you all that much during the first 2 years.

Finally, the area around the school (East Falls) is one of the nicest and safest in the city. That being said, you are still in Philly and crime can still occur anywhere. You just need to be smart and cautious.

It is ultmately your decision and you should go with your gut feeling. Make a list of pros/cons if it helps.

Feel free to PM me with any questions you may have about Drexel. Good luck with your decision!

I appreciate all the thought and time everyone has put into replying to this thread. I'm still up in the air about this whole thing!!! I looked at match lists, reviewed the literature I have on the schools, and re-read all these posts. I think I'll have to sleep on it tonight, and hopefully tomorrow morning I'll have a moment of clarity.

HCA1500A said:

I appreciate all the thought and time everyone has put into replying to this thread. I'm still up in the air about this whole thing!!! I looked at match lists, reviewed the literature I have on the schools, and re-read all these posts. I think I'll have to sleep on it tonight, and hopefully tomorrow morning I'll have a moment of clarity.

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Seriously, I would think back to my interview day. Think about the enrivonment present. Which one matches a type of environment you have felt comfortable with in the past. Then go with your gut.
Or maybe pick 2 factors that you used to initially determine which schools to apply to. Then use those factors as the decider between the two schools. In the end, location is a huge factor, price is as well, curriculum, grading options. Plus, if it is this difficult to make a decision it means you are choosing between two choices that might just be very similar. In that case, you kinda can't lose. Again, good luck in your decision. Try not to let it eat you up to much. At either schools you're gonna be studying your butt off. After you choose, make sure to go out, have a beer, and don't look back!

Pick Drexel please.